If you were to use Cincinnati’s
representation at this year’s South By Southwest festival as an
indicator of the health of our local music scene at the moment, then
Cincinnati music circa 2012 is in top physical condition. Never has
Cincinnati had such a presence at America’s premier fan/industry
showcase.

Oodles of Greater Cincinnati musicians and businesses prepare to mess with Texas

I attended my first South By Southwest festival in Austin, Tex., over 15 years ago to cover local Funk group SHAG's appearance at the festival for a much younger CityBeat. It seemed exciting back then that one of Cincinnati's biggest bands was invited to showcase at SXSW. This year, the amount of acts from the area performing is unprecedented — never has Cincinnati had such a presence at America’s premier music fan/industry showcase and conference (which starts a week from today). And it’s not just performers. Representatives from local promo company The Counter Rhythm Group will be on hand in force, venture development group CincyTech is hosting regular chats as well as a Cincinnati hospitality headquarters and party in Austin and the progressive promotional/licensing machine The All Night Party is sponsoring both a tour centered around the Texas festival and its own showcase night at the event, a first for a local organization. And, as we have most SXSWs over the past 17 years, CityBeat will have a reporter on the scene providing regular updates for this here blog. Be sure to check back often starting next week and see how are hometown heroes are doing. Here’s an overview of just some of the Cincy-centric happenings related to SXSW 2012:• The All Night Party presents the Midwest by Southwest tour (also sponsored by this summer’s Bunbury Music Festival and assisted by Counter Rhythm and Reveal Concepts) featuring, as the tagline reads, “Four Midwestern Bands — On A Mission to Rock.” The tour has Cincinnati bands The Sundresses (repeat visitors to SXSW) and Wussy, as well as Cleveland rockers The Whiskey Daredevils and Lexington’s Oh My Me. The jaunt begins Thursday at Mount Lookout’s The Redmoor. (Doors open at 6 p.m., showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are $10.) MWXSW will hit several other cities before and after the ANP SXSW showcase Tuesday at the Soho Lounge. The Lions Rampant will appear on the bill in Austin, as well. If you'd like to help the caravan out, there is a Kickstarter campaign with some cool perks you can check out here. (Quick, only three days left!) Here's the promo vid:• R. Ring, the acoustic duo featuring local musician/engineer Mike Montgomery (thistle, Ampline) and Dayton, Ohio’s Kelley Deal (Breeders), will perform at a showcase hosted by the Misra label on March 15. Misra is releasing the twosome’s first single in a few months, with a full-length to follow. • Ohio Knife, a new duo project from The Chocolate Horse’s Jason Snell, Andrew Higley and Joe Suer, is also headed to Austin and the local branch of branding agency Landor is tagging along. The company is hosting a travelogue website here so you can follow along at home. Ohio Knife plays a tour kickoff show Friday at The Comet in Northside. The band will hit other clubs in Tennessee and Texas along its way to SXSW. • Local Indie Pop faves Pomegranates are now labelmates (on the Modern Outsider imprint) with fellow Cincy band Bad Veins. While the Veins won’t be performing in Texas (they’re preparing their own tour launch March 19 in Colorado), the Poms will play the official Modern Outsider SXSW showcase on March 14 at Trinity Hall. • Indie/Folk/Electro/Pop powerhouse The Seedy Seeds took part in a SXSW launch party a couple of weeks ago. The band performs at the All Night Party showcase Tuesday.• Eccentric breakout rockers Foxy Shazam are one of the headliners of a showcase presented by the huge booking company The Agency Group on March 15 at Latitude 30; the day before they’ll play an afternoon party. • Cincy RCA Records recording artists Walk the Moon aren’t technically “showcasing” for SXSW, but they will be in Austin for the MTVu Woodie Awards ceremony and festival held in during SXSW, where they’ll be performing and hoping to score the Breaking Woodie award they’re competing for against acts like tUnE-YarDs and Lana Del Rey. Vote for the hometown boys here, where you can also watch a live stream from the March 15 festival.

Indie trio, promo group and tech company host happy-hour event today at Mainstay

Greater Cincinnati has an exceptionally large contingency headed to Austin, Tex., in a few weeks for the big music industry showcase/conference South By Southwest. As in the past, CityBeat will have troops on the ground covering everything Cincinnati at SXSW, with regular dispatches and more. But before any vans/RVs/tourbusses leave the driveway and start heading south, there are a few send-off events involving our local SXSW reps, beginning this evening with a special happy-hour party featuring music by The Seedy Seeds. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. at downtown's Mainstay and runs until 8 p.m. (Hang around afterwards to catch two of Cincinnati's more eclectic DJs, DJ Empirical and KFrey, at 10 p.m., as they spin for the club's Turntable Thursday night). There is a $10 cover/donation for the SxCincy gathering.The Seedy Seeds are, unsurprisingly, playing the festival again this year, but today's happy-hour event will help introduce many locals to another entity heading to SXSW. The sponsors of the happy hour, technology-focused "venture development organization" CincyTech, will be in Texas and helping out fellow Cincinnatians by securing space in downtown Austin they've dubbed @SxCincy Haus, designed "for members of the Cincinnati community to recharge themselves and their devices" and "hang out, get some work done or just rest up." CincyTech is also hosting chats each day at 4 p.m., featuring different topics and guests from Cincinnati. The tech company is also presenting a party at SXSW with Cincinnati beer and chili, plus "the opportunity to mingle with Cincy's consumer branding and marketing experts." CincyTech representatives will be on hand at Mainstay tonight to explain everything. The All Night Party licensing/promo group is co-sponsoring today's happy hour and also going to Austin, hosting its first-ever showcase at SXSW. More details to come. ANP, CincyTech and The Seedy Seeds are just three local groups (musical or otherwise) heading to the festival. Stay tuned to our blogs for updates and news on who's going and other "bon voyage" parties/benefits in Greater Cincinnati leading up to their departure. The Seedy Seeds unveiled another excellent music video earlier this month. Check out the playfully animated clip for "Telephone the Constrictor":